Story Highlights

The number of Mississippi public schools and districts rated as failing decreased by almost a third last year, according to accountability data released Thursday.

But the victory for some improved school districts could be short-lived because of a recalibration of the state’s grading system that sets the bar higher to achieve a passing score.

For the 2016-17 school year, 15 districts were rated A's, 43 were rated B's, 43 were rated C's and 36 were rated D's.

The number of districts receiving a failing rating decreased by almost 53 percent last year from 19 to nine.

But there’s concern that some of those school systems could backslide under the reset.

If 12 of the 36 districts rated D had been held to the new baseline set by education officials, the number of failing districts would have increased to 21.

Instead, for the 2017 accountability grades, district and schools were awarded the highest grade they were able to achieve under the current threshold or the new baseline for 2017-18. The Mississippi Department of Education published both grades for transparency.

For educators, like Jefferson County Interim Superintendent Bertha Watts, the temporary reprieve is bittersweet. The district was spared the heartburn this year of having a "D" under the new system, since it scored a "C" under the old one.

But the waiver increases the pressure.

For the 2015-16 school year, the nearly 1,300-student district was rated the worst in the state. Much of that grade, Watts said, was because it misreported the number of students who graduated.

Mississippi schools and districts are assigned points based on several factors, including test scores and the percentage of students who sit for exams.

Grades for high schools take into account additional measures, including ACT performance and the percentage of students who graduate. Watts said the latter is what caused trouble when the district incorrectly told the state only two students had received diplomas.

That might explain why the district made one of the most dramatic gains in the state last year and improved its standing to a "C," which is considered successful in the state’s accountability model.

The uptick also means the district is not at risk of being placed into the state’s Achievement School District.

“They (teachers) were working hard to prevent that,” Watts said. “MDE is here for us. (The ASD) is not ‘an I got you.’ But if we can keep them out, that’s better for us and the children.”

Still, she has concerns. The district received the "C" thanks to the one-year-only-hold-harmless provision that gave districts the higher of two grades. Under new cut scores, the district will have to score eight points higher to keep its current standing.

“If they had not reset, we would have been better (off).” Watts said. “We’re going to make it and we’re not going to give up. Our teachers will work hard, and our students will be held accountable.”

The number of "A" districts in the state officially increased by one. Held to the new baseline the number of top-performing district increases to 16. Under the former baseline, the number drops to 12.

The Pearl Public School District was one of six districts to climb to an "A" status.

Pearl was also one of 11 districts that would have achieved an "A" under either the current baseline or new baseline.

Pearl Superintendent Ray Morgigno credited the rise to teachers and students excited about learning.

He said the district started after-school tutoring for students struggling in core subjects. Familiarity with the test — 2017 was the first time in four years that students sat for the same assessment for two consecutive years — also helped.

District and Schools Snapshot

The Petal School District earned the highest score in the state with 734 points on the 1,000-scale model, followed by the Booneville School District, the Oxford School District, the Enterprise School District and the Ocean Springs School District.

The Leflore County School District scored the lowest with 418 points.

The Humphreys County School District, Jackson Public Schools, Noxubee County School District and Wilkinson County School District rounded out the bottom five.

Those four districts along with the Greenville Public and Holmes County School District were among six school systems in the state to receive a failing rating for two consecutive years, placing them at risk of being absorbed into the state's Achievement School District.

Davis Magnet in Jackson had the highest score of all elementary and middle schools in the state, while Lewisburg High School in the DeSoto County School District was the top-ranking high school.

In accordance with state law, charters in Mississippi are reported as districts.

Education officials have cautioned that an apple-to-apples comparison cannot be made to other districts. Three charters received accountability grades for 2017. Because the schools serve no higher than middle school they are graded on a 700-point scale like other elementary and middle schools as opposed to a 1,000-point district scale.

In their second year of operation, Midtown Public Charter School and Reimagine Prep scored an "F" and "D," respectively.

Smilow Prep, which opened last year, received a "D."

"While the overall letter grades and scores don’t meet expectations, students attending charter schools are making growth in reading and math," said Krystal Cormack, who chairs the state Charter Authorizer Board.

All three charters, she said, are in the 25 percent of all elementary/middle schools in the state for math growth with their lowest performing students.

“At no point does any school want to be in F-rated status, that’s not something at this moment that we’re super excited or proud about,” said Midtown Principal Josalyn Filkins.

The leader said a breakdown of student test scores showed that 102 of the school’s 312 students were 1 percent away from reaching another proficiency level.

“Had we reached that proficiency level I think we would have been having a different conversation right now,” she said.